Are you a personal friend or acquaintance of Christy?

Well, he might be. Christy Moore does have friends and acquaintances.
At one time I would have described CM as an acquaintance, especially as some of the Prosperous musicians lived upstairs from me (and a jolly loud racket they made).

I haven't heard this broadcast yet but someone told me said album was presented as the point when CM turned to exclusively Irish roots. This would be why Dave Bland (then VWML librarian) was chosen to play tenor banjo and concertina. Halifax stylee.